diymy Chapter 6: What kind of rotten fish and shrimp?
Chapter 6: What kind of rotten fish and shrimp?
Guan Shengbai looked in the direction of the sound.
Ko Ching-teng stood with his hands in his pockets and his signature mischievous grin on his face.
There was an inexplicable frivolity in that smile, much like the self-proclaimed charming but poor student in the back row of a high school class.
There was another person standing half a step behind Ko Ching-teng.
The man was dressed casually in a black hoodie and his baseball cap was pulled low, but Guan Shengbai still recognized him at a glance.
Chen Zuming.
He is the son of Cheng Shilong, a big name in the Hong Kong entertainment circle, and a true second-generation star.
If you look at the timeline, these two scoundrels, who seem to be in cahoots, probably got together around 12 years ago.
Where are you headed?
Ko Ching-teng asked again, his gaze sweeping over Guan Sheng-bai and scanning the four women before finally settling on Guo Biting.
That gaze was frighteningly sticky.
It's like being in a sauna during the humid, rainy season in March or April in the south—damp and sweaty.
Guan Shengbai frowned almost imperceptibly.
He glanced at Guo Biting sideways and saw that she subconsciously pulled her down jacket tighter, her eyes drifting elsewhere, but a polite smile still lingering on her lips.
"Let's have a late-night snack."
Yang Mi replied briefly, her tone neither cold nor enthusiastic.
"Late-night snacks are great!"
Ko Ching-teng's eyes lit up, as if he hadn't picked up on the perfunctory signal in Yang Mi's words at all.
"I happen to have a get-together with Brother Zuming in Shanghai, a few friends from the industry. How about we come along?"
After he finished speaking, he seemed to only then notice Guan Shengbai, and raised his chin.
"This person can come along too."
Wow, just eight words, yet every word is an invitation, every sentence a blessing.
Guan Shengbai almost burst out laughing.
Speaking of which, this guy has been one of the rising stars that Chai Zhiping has been heavily promoting in recent years.
Furthermore, after the huge success of "You Are the Apple of My Eye," she finally established herself firmly in the entertainment industry.
In the end, he still acts like a pimp who hangs around on the fringes of the entertainment industry but always wants to get into the inner circle.
These kinds of people seem to be most adept at treating you with the utmost "generosity" when they are half a level above you, as if letting you join their party is an immense honor.
But Ko Ching-teng probably didn't know that his little scheme was completely transparent to Kuan Sheng-pai.
Inviting Guan Shengbai was a pretense; his real intention was to lure the four leading actresses to a drinking party.
Moreover, his goal is very clear.
Guan Shengbai followed Ke Jingteng's gaze.
Guo Biting was seen with her head down, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on her phone case.
Tsk, looks like this woman probably knows something, she's trying to avoid it.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Ke, everyone is tired after filming all day. Let's do it another day."
Guan Shengbai immediately spoke, his tone as calm as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.
Ko Ching-teng's smile froze slightly.
He clearly hadn't expected Guan Shengbai to make the decision for everyone so directly.
"Hey, I meant to ask about a few beautiful ladies, right?"
Ko Ching-teng twitched the corner of his mouth, his gaze passing over Guan Sheng-bai and returning to Yang Mi.
"Honey, what do you think? It's rare for Brother Zuming to come to Shanghai—"
"Xiaobai is right, everyone is tired today."
Yang Mi interrupted him, her smile so perfect it looked like it had been copied and pasted from an etiquette textbook.
"And there's a shoot early tomorrow morning."
Ko Ching-teng's smile completely vanished.
You have time to go out for late-night snacks with this pretty boy, but when you go out with us, you use the excuse of filming, right?
His gaze returned to Guan Shengbai, this time no longer with the casual indifference of before, but with a hint of scrutiny.
That look probably meant: Damn it! Who the hell do you think you are?
"Brother, I'm telling you—"
"A-Teng".
Chen Zuming, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
He took off his baseball cap, revealing a face that bore some resemblance to his father's features.
It must be admitted that this second-generation star has indeed learned something from his father in terms of his words and actions.
Even though it's just a superficial effort.
"Forget it, since it's inconvenient for them, let's not force them."
Chen Zuming patted Ke Jingteng on the shoulder, his tone so casual as if he were talking about something trivial.
But Guan Shengbai noticed that when he said this, his gaze didn't linger on Guan Shengbai for even a second.
It was as if Guan Shengbai's existence was not worthy of entering his field of vision at all.
This kind of disregard is undoubtedly more sophisticated and more hurtful than Ko Ching-teng's contempt.
Guan Shengbai simply smiled.
After all, no one would bother arguing with a grasshopper in autumn.
Unlike Ko Ching-teng, who joined the fandom this year, fellow Daoist Ming has been a fan for eight years.
If nothing changes, it will only be a year or two before these two scoundrels are exposed.
"Let's go! You people are so annoying!"
Xie Yilin suddenly appeared, making a lot of noise, and hooked her arm around Guo Biting's arm, pulling her aside like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
Guo Biting seized the opportunity and followed, her movements as swift as if she were fleeing a crime scene.
Guo Caijie strolled past Guan Shengbai, then whispered a few words in a strained Minnan dialect as she pursed her lips at Ke Jingteng.
Guan Shengbai didn't hear clearly, but he saw Guo Caijie's lips curl slightly.
The insults must have been quite vulgar.
As Ko Ching-teng watched the figures of the group walk away, the expression on his face was as varied as a spilled palette of paint.
"What kind of rotten fish, rotten shrimp, and stinky sesame seeds dare to put on airs here..."
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for a few people who hadn't gone far to hear him faintly.
Guo Biting's shoulder visibly stiffened.
Yang Mi stopped in her tracks, a cold glint flashing across her face.
Guan Shengbai also stopped and turned to look at Ke Jingteng.
"Oh right! Teacher Ke, I forgot to ask you earlier, why do you look like you just finished burning paper money? Is it because of different customs?"
I sincerely suggest you take more showers and rinse your mouth more often, because the burnt smell and bad breath on you are really quite strong!
There was no anger, no provocation, not even any extra expression.
It seemed like the most sincere advice imaginable.
After Guan Shengbai finished speaking, he just looked at him with a faint smile on his lips.
But Ko Ching-teng, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, unconsciously took a half step back.
He didn't know what he was afraid of.
The person in front of me hadn't said anything, nor had he shown any fierce expression.
But in those phoenix eyes, Ke Jingteng read something that sent chills down his spine.
It was a very strange illusion.
The other person's eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.
No... was he implying something with those words?
Feeling guilty, Ko Ching-teng couldn't help but glance at Chen Tsu-ming next door.
Dao Youming's pupils suddenly contracted, and he involuntarily pursed his lips.
By the time they came to their senses, Guan Shengbai had already looked away and turned to leave as if nothing had happened.
"Let's go, let's go, why bother arguing with someone like that!"
Xie Yilin was still trying to smooth things over.
The figures of the group quickly disappeared into the night.
Ko Ching-teng stood there, his face ashen, as if he had swallowed a live toad.
"Who was that just now?"
Chen Zuming put his baseball cap back on, his voice calm, but a subtle glint flashed in his eyes.
"Who knows? They said it's Yang Mi's junior apprentice who's playing a small role."
Ko Ching-teng said irritably, "A newcomer who just debuted dares to act so arrogantly."
"A newcomer?"
Chen Zuming repeated it thoughtfully.
"Brother Zuming, do you think he... knows something?"
Ko Ching-teng suddenly lowered his voice, feeling a little guilty.
"How is that possible?"
Chen Zu glanced at the younger brother and dismissed him with a disdainful Hong Kong accent.
"Didn't you say he was a newcomer? How could a nobody like him possibly get involved in circles like ours?"
Listening to Chen Zuming's analysis, Ke Jingteng's expression turned even uglier, and he couldn't help but cover his mouth and exhale.
It doesn't smell bad...
"Does that mean I was fooled by a complete newbie?"
"What else can you do? Look at you, what's that called again?... Cowardly look! Yes! Cowardly look! It's hilarious, hahaha!!!"
Chen Zuming revealed a row of yellow teeth and mocked Ke Jingteng, which undoubtedly made Ke Jingteng's already unpleasant face even darker.
……
……
Meanwhile, the dressing room was bustling with activity.
After being interrupted by Ke Jingteng, everyone lost their enthusiasm.
Since it was getting late, the group decided to buy a few bottles of beer and some barbecue skewers, go back to the dressing room from the afternoon, lock the door, and make do with what they had.
"Xiao Bai, you were so cool just now!"
Xie Yilin slammed a bottle of beer down in front of Guan Shengbai, her eyes sparkling with gossip.
"You didn't see Ko Ching-teng's face, tsk tsk tsk, even stir-fried pig liver wasn't as red as him!"
"What kind of analogy is that...?"
Guo Caijie pouted in disdain, but the smile in the corner of her eyes betrayed her.
Guo Biting didn't say anything, but silently opened a can of beer and pushed it to Guan Shengbai's side.
"Thanks."
She said softly.
The sound was very soft, so soft that it seemed a night breeze could carry it away.
"polite."
Guan Shengbai took the beer, and the two touched fingertips lightly before withdrawing them.
Guo Biting tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture Guan Shengbai had seen twice today.
But this time, her earlobes were slightly red.
"That Ko Ching-teng is a complete idiot."
Yang Mi suddenly spoke, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone in the dressing room to hear clearly.
Xie Yilin almost spat out her beer.
Guo Caijie suddenly turned her head, her mouth agape in an "O" shape.
Even Guo Biting was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly.
No one on set had ever heard Yang Mi curse so bluntly before.
She's always been like that.
They were polite yet distant, with an invisible wall hidden beneath their smiles.
But at this moment, the wall seemed to have cracked.
"What are you looking at?!"
Yang Mi rolled her eyes at the group. "Am I wrong?"
"Yes, yes, Sister Honey is absolutely right!"
Xie Yilin quickly raised her hands and feet in agreement, and then raised the wine bottle.
"Come on, let's toast Xiaobai. If he hadn't stopped us today, we probably would have been dragged off to a social event."
"What kind of social engagement...?"
Guo Caijie snorted coldly, "It's just about drinking with customers."
"Alright, alright, they're gone now, it's no fun talking about this."
Guan Shengbai nonchalantly raised his bottle and clinked it with a few other people.
The beer wasn't cold enough, and the barbecue was a bit too salty.
But for some reason, the girls felt that this late-night snack was even more delicious than the seafood feast that cost thousands of yuan per person at the film crew's opening banquet.
Perhaps it's because there's less of that insincere politeness.
Perhaps it was the shared experience of "fighting a common enemy" that had moved them.
Or perhaps it's just that everyone showed a rare display of their true nature when facing these few people.
Guan Shengbai leaned back in his chair, looking at the women in front of him who had removed their makeup, were wearing down jackets, and were eating kebabs without any regard for their image. He suddenly found it rather interesting.
In his past life, he worked in crisis public relations, and the people he dealt with most were celebrities.
But what he saw were almost always meticulously edited faces under the spotlight, answers that had been reviewed word by word in interview transcripts, and perfect personas where every expression had to be precisely calculated.
Under their arrangement, those people laughed appropriately, cried just right, and were measured even when they were angry.
But these people in front of me...
Guo Caijie was coughing from the spiciness of the grilled skewers, Xie Yilin was wiping the grease from Guo Biting's mouth, and Yang Mi was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand without a care.
There's no body image anxiety, no spotlight, no audience scrutiny, and no paparazzi to watch out for.
This seems to be what a girl in her twenties should be like.
"What are you laughing at, Xiaobai?"
Yang Mi suddenly looked over suspiciously.
"It's nothing..."
Guan Shengbai shook his head, raised the wine bottle, and took another sip.
"Speaking of which..."
He suddenly spoke up, "How can that guy surnamed Ke be so arrogant on set, not even respecting his senior sister? It can't be because of Chen Zuming, can it?"
Although Ko Ching-teng became an overnight sensation with the movie "You Are the Apple of My Eye," there is still a certain gap in star power between him and Yang Mi.
To put it bluntly, Yang Mi is the biggest star in the entire "Tiny Times" series, without exception.
However, Dao Youke's nonchalant confidence when facing Yang Mi didn't seem fake.
He even wanted to drag the four women over to drink with people in his "circle".
There are definitely some problems here.
The atmosphere in the dressing room paused slightly.
Yang Mi and Guo Caijie exchanged a glance.
"you do not know?"
Xie Yilin said casually, "This actress is Sister Chai's darling! Guess who was the first actor we cast for this movie?"
"Not my senior sister?"
"nonono~"
Xie Yilin waved her finger.
Yang Mi chimed in from behind.
"When this film was first conceived, the role was originally intended for Ko Ching-teng. It was only later that Sister Chai and Director Kuo approached me."
"Got it? From the very beginning of this film, the prince is Ko Ching-teng. Do you think he wouldn't be arrogant?"
Guan Shengbai raised an eyebrow slightly, simply nodded, and did not ask any further questions.
In his previous life, he entered the industry relatively late and was responsible for projects involving "high-rollers" in the Chinese entertainment industry.
By then, Dao You Ke had already disappeared from the mainland, so naturally, no one would bother to think too much about him.
However, he is certainly well aware of the dirty dealings in the Taiwanese entertainment industry.
It's no secret that Chai Chih-ping strongly supports Ko Ching-teng.
The marketing efforts behind the scenes of "You Are the Apple of My Eye" were also crucial to its success.
The role of Gu Yuan in this "Tiny Times" movie seems to have been given a cushy job.
Perhaps with the intention of promoting Ko Ching-teng in mind, Chai Chih-ping devoted so many resources to creating this film.
So even setting aside their private lives, Ko Ching-teng's position in Chai Chih-ping's heart was much higher than Kuan Sheng-pai initially thought.
Thinking of this, he changed the subject:
"Alright, let this darling of mine hop around for a few more days."
"What do you mean?"
Several people turned to look at him, their expressions showing surprise.
Guan Shengbai's actions tonight certainly won the favor of the girls.
But as a complete newcomer, isn't he afraid of making a fool of himself by saying such things?
Guan Shengbai picked up the skewer in front of him and took a slow, deliberate bite.
"It's nothing, I just think the grilled eggplant was a bit too salty tonight."